t his adversaries, turning and bending,
retreating and then suddenly darting forward to pull the nearest down
by his foot, or to overthrow him with a powerful blow, he defended
himself bravely, and that without any weapon, with his right hand
alone; for in the left he held something close to his breast, as if
hiding and protecting it.

This unequal combat lasted several minutes.

The conjurer was pushed nearer and nearer to the water by the angry and
noisy crowd. Suddenly a naked blade glittered. One of the livery
servants, enraged at receiving a severe blow, drew his knife and sprang
at the conjurer from behind. With a cry the latter fell; his enemies
rushed upon him.

"Help! drag them away! help the poor man!" cried Mataswintha to the
soldiers, who now approached from the forsaken platform; "I, your
Queen, command you!"

The Goths hurried to the knot of struggling men; but before they could
reach them, the conjurer, who had broken from his adversaries, sprang
out of the tumbling group, and, with a last effort, darted straight off
in the direction of the two women--followed by the Italians.

What a sight!

The Gallic tunic of the poor conjurer hung in rags from his body; his
false yellow hair was torn off his head, and beneath appeared locks of
glossy black; the white hue of his neck ended in a chest the colour of
bronze.

With a last exertion of strength he reached the women, and recognised
Mataswintha.

"Protect me, save me, white goddess!" he cried, and fell at her feet.

The Italians had already reached him, and the nearest raised his knife.

But Mataswintha spread her blue mantle over the fallen man.

"Back!" she cried with majesty. "Leave him. He is under the protection
of the Queen of the Goths!"

The livery-servants fell back abashed.

"Indeed!" at last said the one with the dagger, "is this dog and son of
a dog to go unpunished? and five of us lie half dead on the ground, and
I have three teeth too few? Is there to be no punishment?"

"He is punished enough," said Mataswintha, pointing to the deep gash on
the neck of the conjurer.

"And all this fuss about a worm!" cried another. "About a snake that
escaped from his knapsack, which we tried to kill with stones."

"See, he has hidden the viper in his bosom. Take it from him!"

"Kill him!" screamed the others.

But now a number of soldiers came up, and procured respect for their
Queen, pushing back the Italians, and forming a circle round